A clause declaring turbines in landscape protection areas non- compliant was deleted after mediation, with the council’s agreement.

Ms Chapman said it had been a long and draining battle that had cost her and her partner at least $15,000 in spite of discounted barristers fees.

“It’s been five long years since the first submissions we made to Porirua City Council when Plan Change 7 was going through the whole hearings process,” she said.

“We were defending private property rights.

“Although it has come at enormous cost, emotionally and financially, we have got the right outcome.”

The ruling has set clear rules for commercial wind turbines in Porirua but does not affect domestic wind turbines.

“I would have no problem with someone doing that,” Ms Chapman said.

“I would do it myself. Industrial- sized turbines – they are at enormous height with a huge wingspan and it’s the mass of them that is so intrusive and unacceptable.”

Should there be an appeal, Ms Chapman said she would continue the fight.

“If they appeal we can’t do anything else but I think they are pretty much on a hiding to nowhere.

“The grounds of appeal are limited, essentially to points of law.”

Porirua City Council district plan review subcommittee chairman Tim Sheppard said he was pleased with the result and said it was a huge milestone and the first plan change of its type in New Zealand for managing commercial-scale wind farms in rural areas.

Kapi Mana News asked each of the power generation companies how the decision affected their wind farm construction plans, whether they intended to appeal and whether the precedent set by the decision had any national ramifications, but they did not reply by the time this edition went to press.

Mighty River Power and the New Zealand Wind Energy Association have 15 working days in which to lodge an appeal.

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article is owned by the author or publisher indicated. Its availability here constitutes a "fair use" as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law as well as in similar "fair dealing" exceptions of the copyright laws of other nations, as part of National Wind Watch's noncommercial effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information. For more information, click here. Send takedown inquiry or request to excerpt to query/wind-watch.org. Send general inquiries and comments to query/wind-watch.org.